Keyhole-guard



(No Model.)

` C. H. WESTON 8v M. J. SULLIVAN.

KEYHOLE GUARD.

No. 544,334. Patented Aug. 13,1895.

MVM/....7

,4 TTOHNE YS UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

CLINTON HARISON VESTON AND MICHAEL JOHN SULLIVAN, OF LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN.

KEvI-loLE-GUARD.4

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,334, dated August 13, 1895.

Application tiled .Tune 15, 1895. Serial No. 552,929. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we, CLINTON HARRISON WESTON and MICHAEL JOHN SULLIVAN, of La Crosse, in the county of La Crosse and State of Wisconsin, have invented an Improved Keyhole-Guard, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to keyholeguards, and particularly to that class thereof known as pivoted or swinging guards, which operate by gravity to close the keyhole against entrance from either side, as desired.

The object of our invention is to provide a keyhole-guard which can be attached to any of the locks now in use, whether rim-locks or mortise-locks, and constructed of either cast or sheet metal.

Another object of our invention is to provide a keyhole-guard of such construction that when no key is in the lock a key can be readily inserted from either side; and a still further object of our-invention is to so construct said guard that when the key is upon the inner side of the lock it will form a locking connection with the guard and prevent any movement of said guard from the opposite side of the lock.

The purpose of our keyhole-guards is the same as other guards-namely, to prevent any one on the outside picking the lock or interfering with a key therein.

With these and such objects as will appear hereinafter, our invention consists broadly in pivoting a guard upon the exterior of the lockcase, which guard has a recess or socket upon its 4inner face to receive the end of the key.

spindle, and upon its upper face has a beveled cut-away portion, whereby when the key is inserted from the outside the guard will be forced to one side providing there is no key in the lock upon the inside and our invention consists also in pivoting said guard eccentrically and weighting the lower or free end thereof to insure the positive action of said guard by gravity; and our invention consists finally in the peculiar construction of its several parts, and their novel combination and arrangement, all of which will be described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this speci- Iication, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a door having a lock attached thereto, which lock is provided'with ourimproved keyholeguard. Fig. 2 is a face view of the lock, said view showing the outer face of the lock and guard. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing opposite faces of the guard detached from the case.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the door, and B the lock attached thereto, which lock is here shown as a mortise-lock; but it is obvious that our invention is also applicable to rim-locks as well. The keyhole-guard C is composed of a single piece of metal and comprises the head or upper portion c and the body or lower portions o', said body being gradually. broadened toward the lower end for the purpose of increasing the weight of said end, so that the guard will drop quickly by gravity. The head portion c is projected to one side of the body portion, and has a hole c2 made therein at a point beyond the body portion, so that when said guard is pivoted upon the outer face of the lock-case at D by means of a screw said guard will be pivoted eccentrically with reference to the keyhole which it is to cover'.

Upon the inner face of the guard C is produced a recess or socket E, and when the guard is in place covering the keyhole of the lock said recess or socket will rest directly opposite the eye of said keyhole, so that when a key is inserted in the lock from the inside the spindle of said key will enter said recess or socket, and thus lock the guard from movement, inasmuch as said guard is secured at two points-enamely, the pivotal point and at the recess or socket E. It will thus be seen that when a key is in the lock upon the inside it will be impossible for any one upon the outside to pick said lock or tamper with the key by means of pinchers or other appliances.

In order to permit the key to be introduced into the look from the outside when there is no key upon the inside, we construct the outer face of the guard with a beveled cut-away portion F at the point directly below the head, or the portion of the body which rests over the eye of the keyhole, said portion being so beveled that when the spindle of the key contacts therewith the guard will be causedrk IOO swing to one side and permit the key to enter the hole in the lock.

A stop-pin G is arranged upon the face of the lock adjacent to the keyhole, and against which the guard strikes, so that when the guard drops it will be stopped at the proper point to protect the keyhole, and this stop-pin also prevents said guard swinging in more than one direction, so that the action of the guard when inserting a key from the outside will be positive and certain.

It will thus be seen that We provide a keyhole-guard which automatically swings into place to cover the keyhole-one which acts in combination with the key upon the inside to prevent any entrance of a key or other instrument from the outside, and one which can be displaced by a key from the outside when no key is in the lock upon the inside. It will also be noticed that our improved guard is exceedingly simple in construction and eicient in operation, and it will also be noticed that it can be applied to any of the locks now in use Without any further labor than gouging out a small recess for the operation ot the swinging guard.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is l. An improved key hole guard adapted t0 be attached to the exterior of a lock case, and having a recess or socket upon one face, and a beveled portion upon the opposite face, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the lock case, ot' a key hole guard, pivoted upon one side thereof, said guard having a recess or socket upon its inner face, and the beveled portion upon its outer face, and the stop pin for limiting the motion of said guard, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CLINTON HARRISON WESTON. MICHAEL JOHN SULLlVAN.

Witnesses:

FRANK WINTER, JOHN J. EsoH. 

